Loboc Philippines - the Oldest church in Bohol

The San Pedro Apostol Parish Church (also Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church, Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Apóstol), commonly known as Loboc Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Loboc, Bohol, Philippines, within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran.

After the Jesuits established the Christian community in Baclayon, they moved to Loboc and established a second Christian settlement in Bohol. The parish was established in 1602, and the present coral stone church was completed in 1734. Because of its strategic location, it became the center of the Jesuit mission in the Bohol area. In 1768, upon the expulsion of the Jesuits, the town was transferred to the Augustinian Recollects.

The Chocolate Hills

(Cebuano: Mga Bungtod sa Tsokolate; Filipino: Mga Tsokolateng Burol) are a geological formation in the Bohol province of the Philippines.[1] There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi).[2] They are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills is a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province.

The Philippine tarsier located at Bohol Island

(Carlito syrichta), known locally as mawmag in Cebuano/Visayans and mamag in Luzon, is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archipelago, particularly on the islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. It is a member of the approximately 45-million-year-old family Tarsiidae,[3] whose name is derived from its elongated "tarsus" or ankle bone.[4] Formerly a member of the genus Tarsius,[5] it is now listed as the only member of the genus Carlito, a new genus named after the conservationist Carlito Pizarras.

The Loboc River

is a river in the Bohol province of the Philippines. It is one of the major tourist destinations of Bohol.

The source of the Loboc River is located in the town of Carmen, almost in the center of Bohol. From Carmen, the river takes a westerly course for a distance of about 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) then flows due south into the Mindanao or Bohol Sea. Its drainage area of approximately, 520 square kilometres (200 sq mi), is bordered by a horseshoe-shaped chain of mountain peaks rising to an elevation of 800 metres (2,600 ft). Rainfall is distributed almost uniformly throughout the year, thus Loboc River has a steady and high base flow.

Lunch on Loboc Floating restaurant

A river cruise on a floating restaurant is the main activity that the Loboc River offers, attracting both local and foreign tourists. The river cruises start in the Town of Loboc and travel upstream to the Busay Falls. Because of its green and peaceful river environment along with the local foods served, the place is now widely known across the country.

Other attractions are hanging bridges over the river and paddle boarding.

Loboc Eco-Tourism Adventure Park

Here you can find one of the most popular zip-lines in Philippines. Unfortunately for extreme sports lovers, zip-line is not extreme or thrilling at all. But it’s really amazing when you flight above woods and above the river with waterfalls. It’s just 1 minute of flying, but during this time you are happy as a child. 50 shades of green from the height of a bird flight.

These sights are also on the way:

Man-made Forest (Mahogany Forest)

Hundreds and thousands of mahogany trees. Every one of them was planted by a man. The place is beautiful, however it’s just a mahogany forest, nothing else. We were happy to see it from a bus.
Route section: Loboc – Chocolate Hills

Hanging Bamboo Bridge

It’s really a hanging bamboo bridge. :) If you’ve never been to such places, try it! It doesn’t take a lot of time, and the pleasure is guaranteed.
Route section: Loboc – Chocolate Hills

Rice Fields

It’s not a special sight. You can see rice and other fields pretty much everywhere. Rice grows, peasants work, bullocks pull, the real life goes. I’m a fan of fields and everything “real”, I mean not artificially created for tourists. So I really enjoyed our travels in Bohol island.
Route section: everywhere

Accommodation in Bohol

There are a lot of hotels in Tagbilaran City. It’s not a problem if you didn’t book it in advance, but for a comfortable short trip it’s always better to have a reserved room somewhere in a city center. Prices in Tagbilaran are pretty low.

However a lot of people prefer to stay at Alona Beach. For those who prefer reclusive and peaceful place, I can recommend a great hotel on a cliff with a private beach and swimming pool Almira Diving Resort.

Hotel map in Tagbilaran City:

How to Get to Bohol Island?

The most comfortable way to go to Bohol Island is to flight to Tagbilaran Airport from Manila. You can choose between three airlines: AirAsia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines.

How to Get to Bohol Sights from Tubigon?

You can get to Chocolate Hills from Tubigon via Carmen town. You need only is to call us +639988011069 or fill up our contact form.

How to Get to Bohol Sights from Alona Beach?

We have Bohol packages tour for car 1-4 Pax is 2,000phP and for Van 1-9 Pax is 2,500phP and for 9-14 Pax is 3,000phP.

How to Get to Bohol from Cebu Island?

If you are already in Cebu City, you are lucky one, because you can get to Bohol island and complete the “sights tour” the same day. If you have to get to Cebu city first, it would be pretty hard to complete the route in one day. The road to Tagbilaran or Tubigon city takes too much time.

The easiest way from Cebu City to Bohol island is to take a ferry at Cebu-Mactan Port. Most of boats move off from Peer 1. You can get a ferry that go to Tagbilaran or Tubigon ports. In most cases it’s more convenient to go to Tagbilaran.